


The Summons

by Mice



Series: Sea Change [21]
Category: World of Warcraft
Genre: Canon Divergence, M/M, a bit of pining, pre-eastern kingdoms book
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:15:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28192308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mice/pseuds/Mice
Summary: The armistice between the Horde and the Alliance has given everyone a little breathing space. Now might be the right time to send Mathias on a lengthy mission to inventory the people, places, and things of interest in the Eastern Kingdoms. He's not sure he's happy about this.
Relationships: Flynn Fairwind/Mathias Shaw
Series: Sea Change [21]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1875685
Comments: 8
Kudos: 33





	The Summons

Mathias spent a fair bit of time over the next couple of weeks while Flynn was at sea thinking about what had happened in Lakeshire. The quiet there had been surprisingly comfortable and, for the first time in years, he'd voluntarily taken personal time away from work and out of Stormwind that hadn't involved a formal holiday or recovering from injuries. It had felt a little strange at first, but Flynn being with him had made an immense difference. He thought maybe it would be nice to go back again when Flynn got home, if all went well on his current contract. A three-hour trip each way wasn't something he wanted to do every weekend, but the thought that they could do it once a month or so seemed reasonable.

Flynn had been happy during their time in Lakeshire; he'd told Mathias that he was eager to return again sometime soon. It seemed being inland for a few days at a time was a tolerable proposition, though he'd not been certain of it at first. Flynn's innate curiosity and his interest in new things had got him through the whole weekend quite well. Mathias knew he could never take Flynn entirely away from the sea, but at least now he knew that his husband wouldn't actually suffer from being landlocked for a little while. The locket Flynn had given him for Winter Veil was a small but very real comfort during his absence, and Mathias opened it to see the man's smile more often than he'd expected to.

Deciding to take on Flynn's name as a cover identity after their moment of mistaken identity had been strange, but the idea had grown on him over the couple of days they'd been there. He'd spent time thinking about that, as well. It had given him a little bit of separation between who he was to the Alliance, and who he was when he was with his husband. He had no desire to actually change his name, though it was relatively common for a married couple to do so, but having it as a fallback to preserve something of his privacy when they were away from Stormwind had felt like a buffer between his office and his private life.

Maybe that buffer was what he needed. The job was harrowing sometimes, even when he spent most of his time behind a desk. He'd nearly lost his life on several occasions over the years, and things never felt truly finished. Even now, with the most recent war over and his work primarily administrative, there were loose ends, the largest of which was the location of Sylvanas Windrunner. He couldn't count the times he'd worked himself to exhaustion, without regard to either his health or his sanity. He tended to do that a little less now, with Flynn in his life, but when his husband was away, he knew he fell back into his old patterns.

There were moments when the changes in his life were uncomfortable. He struggled sometimes with the sheer amount of vulnerability he'd opened himself to when he'd let Flynn in. The number of ways his enemies could use Flynn or the crew of the _Bold Arva_ against him now seemed endless. It terrified him, yet he wasn't willing to give up the gift he'd been given. He'd become much too greedy to let go of that new comfort in his life. It was another reason for him to take a few steps back and leave more of the agency with Rell Nightwind.

The next day he called Rell into his office, still hesitant about the whole issue.

"I have the reports you wanted, though the messenger from Moonglade won't be here until tomorrow," Rell said, laying the folders on his desk. Mathias gestured to the chair in front of him and Rell sat.

"I appreciate your promptness, though that isn't actually why I've called you in." Rell's head tilted slightly but he said nothing. "You've been back with the agency for some months now and you've been settling in extremely well. Now that Romano and the rest who were influenced by the Scarlet Brotherhood propaganda have been removed, there's no further reason to hesitate in naming you as my successor for the head of SI:7."

Rell nodded. "The last several months have, in large part, been hard on you. I can understand why you'd want to move on this now."

"They have." Mathias rested his hands on his desk, fingers twined, and sighed. He hated admitting it, but it was true. 

"I didn't want to say anything at the time, but Shiv and I were both initially concerned that the New Hearthglen mission would be too much." Rell crossed his legs and rested his hands on his thigh.

A humorless chuckle escaped him. "Oh, I'm aware. Don't think I haven't noticed how everyone's treated me since Stormheim."

"We're all glad your recovery has progressed so well. It was a relief to see you in good shape when you got back from Northrend."

Mathias's fingers drifted unconsciously toward the place at his throat where the garrotte had caught him. "Missions like that are always a risk. We all know that."

"Of course. Devlin's resurrection was unexpected, but at least it can be said that we didn't exactly lose him."

Mathias sighed. That still weighed heavily on his mind. "All of this said, I think it's time to discuss Anduin's suggestion that we create an advisory council for the head of SI:7. While it was originally suggested as a way to augment your long view with the perspective of shorter-lived races, like humans and the worgen, at this point I think it would also be valuable for me. I'm getting to the point where I should be questioning my limits a little more often than I do. Flynn has been useful in… tempering my tendency to push myself too hard but he's obviously not always here. When I'm exhausted or hurt, I'm not making the best decisions, and I'm beginning to realize that I shouldn't be the sole authority for some things."

"There will still be situations where your experience and insight are unmatched, Mathias. No one wants to see you step down in the next few years, barring unforeseen circumstances."

He nodded. "My timeframe has shifted a little since Stormheim, but it's definitely not going to be immediate. I do think it's time I take a few steps back, though."

"Who did you have in mind for this council?" Rell relaxed in his seat, settling in for a long talk.

"I don't want anyone from the House of Nobles anywhere near it," Mathias said. "That said, I do have a list of names I'd like to go over with you and Shiv." He drew a small stack of files from his desk. "If you'll go get him, we can begin. Bring a pot of coffee when you come back."

***

When a Royal Guard showed up at the door of his flat late in the evening, Mathias's heart rattled anxiously in his chest. "What's the emergency?" he asked as he hurried for the bedroom and started changing. His civilian clothes went flying and he slid into the leather of his armor, buckling and lacing with practiced efficiency. 

"His Majesty didn't say it was an emergency, sir. Just that he wanted to see you."

"Was anything happening at the Keep when you left?"

The guard shook her head. "Nothing that I could see. I don't think it's any kind of crisis, honestly. The King seemed a bit distracted, if anything."

He took a breath and slowed down slightly. "You're sure?"

"Yes, sir. Somebody would have said something if there were a genuine emergency. There probably would have been more… flailing." She smiled and shrugged an apology.

Mathias relaxed. "Okay, good to know."

"I'm sorry to disturb your evening."

He buckled on his pauldrons and put on his belt and his daggers. "I'm at the King's disposal at any hour of the day or night. That's my job."

She nodded. "Still, sir." Dressed and ready, he tossed his cloak on over his uniform and followed her out the door, locking up as he went. "I've a gryphon waiting for you below, Master Shaw," she said, leading him down the stairwell.

He mounted up and followed her to the Keep, where he was ushered into Anduin's small, private office. It actually was a work issue, then, and likely something to be handled with reasonable secrecy. "Your Majesty." 

Anduin startled and looked up at him from a stack of books and documents on his desk. "Oh, Master Shaw. Thank you for coming." Outside, the clock on the Cathedral began to sound the hour. Anduin's head tilted for a moment. He blushed. "I'm sorry. I hadn't realized it was so late. This could certainly have waited until morning."

Mathias shrugged. "I'm here now, Your Majesty. I'm meant to be available at any time for your summons."

Anduin wilted at his desk. "It's been a long day. I got buried in reports and the time completely got away from me." He rose from his desk and went to the door, asking the page just outside to bring some green tea. "Please, Mathias, have a seat. The tea should be here in a few minutes."

He sat in one of the soft armchairs near the hearth, the fire crackling quietly. "What did you need?"

"It was brought to my attention recently that we haven't had an inspection of the various artifacts and locations of interest in the Eastern Kingdoms since a few years before the Legion invasions and my father's death." Anduin sat in the chair next to his and leaned back, his head resting against the back of the chair with his eyes closed. He looked drawn and exhausted; he'd not seemed quite so out of sorts during the afternoon briefing. "We're both aware that some of them are exceedingly dangerous and it's been far too long since anyone has updated SI:7's notes on them, made sure they're where they're supposed to be, and what passes for 'safe' when it comes to objects and places of power."

Mathias sighed and nodded. "A full inspection tour would take months." There were some things only he would be entrusted to deal with, and some things were in Horde hands. "You're right, though. It's been years since the records have been updated. I'm not sure what we'll do to verify the status of the places and artifacts in Horde-controlled territory. Last time I was within their borders on a mission..." Risking prison or death was all part of the job, but it didn't mean he was eager for it.

Anduin's page arrived with the tea, and set it on the table at the King's elbow. She poured cups for both of them and brought one to Mathias after Anduin received his, then left silently. "The issue of safe passage through Horde territory can be dealt with through Baine. He'll understand as well as we do the need to be certain that these things are secure. I'll appoint you to a temporary ambassadorship, and I'm certain he'll grant safe passage to you. Despite the ongoing issues, Azeroth is as much at peace as it's ever likely to be. There's really no better time to send you on this task."

It was true, but he was still hesitant. "It'll probably take a couple of weeks to organize things with the Horde Council," he said. "If it's possible, I'd like to wait to leave until Flynn comes home. I'd prefer that he didn't return to an empty flat and a letter telling him that I've gone away and I don't know how long I'll be gone, or even if I'll ever return." The mere thought of it left a hollow ache in his chest. He hoped his hesitation didn't show on his face.

"That's why I won't ask you to go alone," Anduin said, sipping his tea. "Even with a grant of safe passage through Horde territory, some of the items are still in dangerous locations; there are still places of power within Alliance territory that are difficult to access or filled with hostile inhabitants. I can grant both of you leave for the mission and Flynn could go with you. I'm certain Jaina would have no objections. His people can handle the investigations I know she's had him on recently. They all seem remarkably competent, by every report I've heard."

"They are," Mathias agreed, "and Flynn would be ideal backup for me. I suspect he'll be willing to go along, but I do need to ask him. I appreciate your consideration, Anduin."

"I know what you've come to mean to each other, Mathias. I wouldn't deliberately separate you for months like that unless I had no other option."

"Thank you. I'm… still not used to this." He'd been with Flynn for less than a year, but sometimes it felt like they'd always been together. It seemed ridiculous to think that way. He wasn't some young, impressionable boy. He wanted to imagine that he'd never been 'impressionable' but his infatuation with Edwin gave lie to that idea.

Anduin stared thoughtfully into his teacup. "I hope that you'll have time to get used to it." He looked up at Mathias. "Perhaps while you're on the road together you'll find ways to negotiate the changes in your lives. While there'll be danger, there will also be a lot of time when you're just traveling together. There'll be time for you to talk, and to share silence. I won't expect you to rush this. You can take your time and do the inventory at a relaxed pace."

To a certain extent, it would be like being at sea with his husband, but the crew wouldn't be there. It would just be the two of them, and it would be nothing like when he'd been confined to their flat after his injury. Mathias couldn't help but smile at the thought. "I'm not so sure about the silence," he said. "He does tend to chatter if he doesn't have a book in his hand."

"I wonder what he'd think of the library at Karazhan."

Mathias thought back to the last time he'd had agents in the massive tower complex. "I hope Khadgar has things back under at least nominal control."

Anduin shrugged. "That's part of what you'll need to discuss with him. He's not been terribly communicative since he returned there after the Legion's invasion was thwarted."

"We barely had breathing space between the defeat of Argus and the start of the Fourth War. I can't really blame him for retreating to Karazhan after what happened. He'd hoped that the cooperation between the Alliance and the Horde could be maintained, but it never seems to end."

"I keep hoping, too," Anduin said.

"It's just who you are. My job is to be paranoid and watch for any sign of impending doom." There would always be another war, another crisis, another world-ending disaster on the horizon. Light, he didn't want another war. He could honestly do without the impending doom, as well. He couldn't trust the Horde, but that didn't mean he couldn't also wish for the armistice to hold.

"The Horde is far too busy rebuilding itself to make war on us now. With a Council instead of a Warchief, perhaps it'll be a little harder for them to mobilise what's left into a force to fight us." 

But what would happen once the Horde had strengthened itself again? Would a Council be enough to keep them from falling into the same old patterns of hostilities and resentments? Would Anduin's leadership be enough to keep the Alliance from doing the same thing? Mathias doubted it. Nothing he'd ever seen in his life made him believe a lasting peace between the factions was possible. He drank his tea.

"As I said, things are as peaceful as they're ever likely to get," Anduin continued. "And while this holds, it's a good time to catalogue everything and update the records. While I'm working with Baine to get you permission to travel through Horde territories and you're waiting for Flynn to get home, you could organize your old documents and start the survey with some of the items that are right here in the city. It's not just artifacts and places of power, but security evaluations and updates on people of interest. There's so much information that's outdated -- through no fault of yours -- due to the Legion invasions and the Fourth War. A full report is absolutely necessary."

"Keeping things up to date is a never-ending task," Mathias admitted. "One for which we've had very little time, and an unfortunate lack of personnel." Anduin insisting it wasn't his fault didn't mean Mathias wasn't going to berate himself for not being on top of everything anyway.

Anduin's eyes narrowed over his teacup. "I can see you blaming yourself already," he said. "You can stop now."

He looked up at Anduin. When had he become so transparent? It was dangerous to be obvious about his emotions; he still worried that how he felt about Flynn was going to get one or both of them killed. Mathias sighed. "It's a reflex. One I apparently need to work on." And that kneejerk reaction to everything that went wrong was probably down to Pathonia, who had been insistent that Mathias had to achieve perfection in everything he did. Flynn would no doubt tell him he didn't have to feel guilty for anything on Pathonia's behalf, but dealing with that was likely to take even more work than dealing with… every other trauma in his life. Light, he missed the man. 

"Sending you on this mission will also be a good opportunity to let Agent Nightwind take more responsibility for SI:7, now that you've officially named him your successor," Anduin said. "Perhaps, instead of Renzik, you could leave him in charge this time. See how they work together. I've been reviewing your list of potential members for the SI:7 Advisory Council, and they look workable to me. It's a good spread of representatives from the different races of our Alliance. We could begin implementing that while you're away, as well."

Mathias nodded. He'd have to let Rell take the reins at some point. "I'll talk with him and Renzik about it tomorrow. We have a little time to work up to this. Renzik knows it's coming so getting it all in motion is unlikely to ruffle his feathers, but he certainly needs to be notified beforehand."

"Of course. You know best how to handle your own agency." Anduin gestured with his teacup. "I apologize again for dragging you out at this hour. I'll let you get home. I hope I didn't get you out of bed?"

Mathias shook his head. "No. I wasn't doing anything important. I was just concerned when the Guard arrived so late and, as usual, feared the worst."

"If I'd been paying attention to the time, it wouldn't have happened, I assure you." Anduin rose. "And, considering the hour, I really ought to try getting some sleep myself."

Mathias rose with him and bowed. "I'll bid you a good night, then. Until tomorrow's briefing."

"Until tomorrow."

He left Anduin in the quiet of the Keep at night. His flat would be empty when he returned. So would his bed. That knowledge was an ache in his chest. Why did loving someone have to come with this kind of pain?

The joy he felt when Flynn was with him was worth it.


End file.
